Piano-action



Patented May l6, I899.

u. s'n-zmtm. mun AGTION. (Applistion filed Oct. 3, 1898.)

(No Model.)

m: NORRIS vzrzns co FNOYO-LITHUY. WASHINGTON, n cy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS STEINERT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

PIANO-ACTION.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,129, dated May 16, 1899,

Application filed October 3,1898.

To aZZ 1071 0772, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS STEINERT, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Piano-Actions; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection wit-h the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a view in side elevation of an action constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a detached broken view, in rear elevation, of the hammer and hammerlever.

My invention relates to an improvement in actions for upright pianos, the object being to enable performers of moderate skill to produce effects, particularly pianissimo, legato cautabile, and like effects, hitherto only achieved with any degree of perfection by virtuosi and players of the highest rank.

lVith these ends in view my invention consists in a piano-action having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown the key A is provided in the usual manner with a fly B, secured in place by a screw 13 and made adjustable by a screw B passing through its rear end. A jack 0 is pivotally mounted in the forward end of the fly and provided upon its rear face with a wing U, coactin g with a regulating-screw D, mounted in a regulating-screw rail D. A regulating-screw E, mounted in a horizontal position in the upper end of the jack itself, coacts with a buffer-rail E. The extreme upper end of the jack cooperates with an operating-face F, formed upon the lower edge of a couplingfinger F, located upon the lower forward corner of the weighted hammer-lever F which is hung in a butt G, secured to the hammerrail G. The said hammer-lever is balanced, as shown, by the location in it of three small disk-like weights f. A light spring f, engaging with the rearward edge of the hammerlever, assists in restoring it to its normal position. A hook H, mounted in the upper end of the jack and extending up'over the finger Serial No. 692,522. (No model.)

F in effect articulates the jack and hammerlever and provides for the certain restoration of the hammer lever to its normal position when the jack is restored to its normal position by the removal of pressure from the key. The upper end of the hammer-lever is reduced in thickness to form a tongue F formed with a longitudinal slot f from which a longitudinal slit f leads out, an adjusting-screw f passing through the slitted portion of the tongue, providing for constricting the slot f or allowing it to open, as required. The said tongue entersa yoke I, formed in the lower end of the hammer-body I, and receives a pin 4?, which is mounted therein and which enters the slot f and plays up and down therein. Under this construction the hammer-lever is loosely, but positively, articulated with the hammer-body, the said hammer-bod y being pivotally mounted in a hammer-buttJ, secured to the hammer-rail J. The hammerarm K, mounted in the upper end of the hammer-body, is provided with the usual hammer-head K, which is covered with a cushion of felt K A hammer-rest rail L is located in position for the hammer-arm to rest upon when the action is at rest. A buffer M, carried by a rod M, entering the upper end of the hammer-body I, coacts with a back-check M mounted in the upper end of a rod M the lower end of which enters a block M carried by a back-check lever M, which is pivoted to the back-check butt M which is secured by its upper end to the hammer-rail J aforesaid. The said back-check lever M is operated by a back-check lifting-rod N, which extends downward to the key by which it is operated. The damper Ois secured to a damper-rod 0, carried by a damper-lever P, hung in a butt Q, secured to the damper-rail R, the lower end of the damper-lever being furnished with a bent-wire finger S, which coacts with an operating-face S, formed for it upon the forward edge of the hammer-lever. A spring 1), coacting with the damper-lever, tends to urge the damper into engagement with the piano-string and the finger S into engagement with the face S of the hammer lever. A small spring U, connected with the jack 0, near the lower end thereof, exerts a constant effort to draw the jack rearward and maintain its upper end in proper position under the inner or rear end of the oblique operating-face F of the finger F of the hammer-lever.

It will be perceived at once that my improved action consists of a series of looselyarticulated parts, which in a sense may be said to resemble the articulations of the bones of the arm and hand.

In the ordinary piano-action it is necessary to strike the key so as to produce in the action a sufficient shock to cause the hammer to leap into the air and strike the string. The action is so adjusted that a very gentle blow will effect this result; but some blow there must be. A steady even depression of the key will not produce the impulse required for the leaping of the hammer into the air to strike the string. It will thus be seen that the inherent construction and operation of an ordinary piano-action makes the execution of all of the softer passages in a composition very difficult, because if the keys are pressed too softly they will not respond,while if struck too hard too much tone is produced. With my improved action, however, the hammer is always under the control of the key, with which it is connected by a train of articulated parts, so that no matter how softly and evenly the key is depressed it will be caused to respond and strike the string, while on account of the character of the operating-face with which the jack coacts the hammer is caused to retain its position very near the string until all pressure upon the key is removed. From its position close to the string the hammer may be operated to strike another blow upon the string by the ordinary manipulations of a key in repeating or trilling. I would call particular attention to the coupling of the hammer-lever with the jack by means of the hook, as that gives positiveness and certainty to the restoration of the hammer-lever to its normal position.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an upright-piano action, the combination with the key thereof, of a fly mounted thereupon, a jack pivotally secured to the fly, a hammer-lever provided with a forwardly-projecting coupling-finger having an operatingface with which the jack coacts, a hook carried by the jack and embracing the said finger, whereby the jack and ham mer-lever are articulated together, and a hammer having articulate connection with the hammer-lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MGRRIS STEINERT.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC O. EARLE, GEORGE D. SEYMOUR. 

